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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24691990">Voice of Reason</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaithfulWhispers/pseuds/FaithfulWhispers'>FaithfulWhispers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Drabble, Drama, Gen, He's in denial, Zim just wants to do well</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:33:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>336</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24691990</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaithfulWhispers/pseuds/FaithfulWhispers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite all signs, Zim refuses to see the truth. All he wants to do is complete his mission and nothing more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Voice of Reason</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi all, this is just a short angsty drabble I wrote as an exercise a couple of weeks ago. It's also kind of self-indulgent to my tastes as well. I had debated on and off if I was going to post it, but I figured it would be a waste to leave it sitting in my files. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED.</b>
</p><p>“Must be a glitch,” Zim mutters as he tries contacting his Almighty Tallests for the twelfth time.</p><p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED.</b>
</p><p>“Okay, I’ll just attempt a different method.”</p><p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED.</b>
</p><p>He takes a step back, his eyes lingering on the violet screen.</p><p>“Everything is fine,” he says through a forced smile, “take a deep breath and hold your head up high, don’t let yourself trip over this.”</p><p>
  <em> But you’ve already fallen. </em>
</p><p>He tenses up, antennae lie flat. “Nonsense. I’m still here, so the mission objective stands.”</p><p>
  <em> What mission? </em>
</p><p>A hard lump forms in his throat, and he swallows thickly around it. “The o-one the Tallests gave me. A special, secret mission.”</p><p>
  <em> It’s all a lie. You know this. </em>
</p><p>The voice chiding back to him sounds like his own, but it's laced with deceiving venom.</p><p>Zim was--is--a great invader!</p><p>
  <em> You’re a food service drone. You were re-encoded, remember? </em>
</p><p>“Nonsense,” he repeats once more in a firm tone. “I’m an <em> invader</em>. I just rushed off towards my mission before getting my rank switched back. That’s all.”</p><p><em> Again, the mission was a </em> <b> <em>lie</em> </b> <em> . They just wanted you </em> <b> <em>gone</em> </b> <em> . </em></p><p>“No!” Zim shouts, his voice raising an octave. “E-everything is fine. I will conquer this ball of filth--”</p><p>
  <em> For whom? Yourself? Because the Armada isn’t coming. </em>
</p><p>“Y-you’re wrong--”</p><p>
  <em> No, you’re just fooling yourself. </em>
</p><p>Clenching his jaw, he turns away from the screen. Zim refuses to--</p><p>
  <em> You refuse to listen to reason. Stop with the charade, will you? </em>
</p><p>“I, uh--,” he fumbles with his words, “YOU STOP WITH THE <b>LIES</b>!”</p><p>
  <em> Face it already... </em>
</p><p>“NO!”</p><p>He pushes the voice deep down, locking it so it can’t further intrude on his thoughts.</p><p>If anything, he will try again.</p><p>And again.</p><p>After all, his mission is on the line, so he turns back around to fix the glitch in the system. Perhaps if he reroutes some of the lines, he can finally make a connection.</p><p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED.</b>
</p><p>"Perhaps they've switched to a non-standard frequency."</p><p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED.</b>
</p><p>“Or maybe a different protocol?”</p><p>
  <b>SIGNAL BLOCKED…</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! I have more fanfic stuff on the way. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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